ARGs in Education

This week is My Week Off, where I was planning on playing Cathy’s Book and In Memoriam. Cathy’s Book, I did within an few hours of receiving it and In Memoriam was broken – I installed it, but I couldn’t receive any emails from the game – I couldn’t even register my email address. Was peeved, yes.

However this is now changed thanks to an email to tech support, who responded within 10 mins!  The game is now working and I’m good to go. Yesterday, I finally managed to rig up my wireless router sans instructions and installation cd, all thanks to Tech Support.

Thanks TS. You rock.

OK, so that was suitably lame, but it had to be said.

The ad was in cinema’s apparently 

We found Cathy’s book

Interesting article on product placement in the book

Interview with Sean Stewart

I was supposed to wait for my week off, but I couldn’t help it, I’ve started Cathy’s book, and by start, I mean I’ve finshed the narrative, without partaking in any of the ARG as yet, but ready to go. Whoo. I don’t want to spoil the story, for anyone that plans to read it but it ROCKS. I was a bit WTF, but it was just so good. It’s a book for teen girls, but I guess that’s what I still am, at heart *cue violins*.

Initial points of note:
1. There is, now obvious, thinking about it, an English version of the game (which save us in the UK calling US phone numbers). To kick off, you had to email cathy@cathysbook.co.uk. Although I have the US version, I sent and email and I see I have an email already. Coolness. That’s something to thinking about – if you were doing and E-ARG, UK wide, you would need the numbers to be cheap so Eire and others could get involved with limited expense to the users. Local rate or freephone numbers it is then. Or Skype. Whoo. I nearly forgot about Skype.

2. There is definately some CoverGirl cosemetics product placement going on, and there is a business card from a company called BeingGirl.com, the ‘nice, caring face’ of P&G, who make and sell Tampax and Always Ultra Plus with Wings and a swimming float or whatever the latest super-asborbant add-on is. EdComs used to work with them, coincidentally.

3. There are forums.

4. 42 Enertainment are the writers. Note to self: Email Sean Stewart for dissertation.

**UPDATE**

Re 1: It’s not an English version per se – you just use the Double Talk Wireless site to listen to the voicemail, which is what the other users should do to save some cash.

Cathy’s book is a form of interactive storybook. You buy it and can read it simply as a novel, or you can call numbers left in the book, piece torn-up photographs together for clues and log onto websites to enrich the experience.  Looks great, and as soon as I’ve been paid, I’m getting it. Excited. Might have to study it for dissertation.

I can definately see this off-line based model that reaches out working in an educational context, especially for schools that feel that they would need something more tangible. I think I’m quite persuaded by off-line, paper-based elements to ARGs, photographs, and letters could be very good. I really want to elaborate on what I mean, but playing cards close to the chest at the moment.